Dear Epic Failure, My family and I decided to have a cookout for Labor Day. I was very careful while preparing the burger patties. I used two separate cutting boards for my ground beef and veggies. I also washed my hands frequently, in between handling the different ingredients. I formed the patties and placed them on to a plate, which I took out to my dad to grill. After grilling the patties he placed them back on the plate and set the plate on the table, so people could help themselves. The party was great and we all had a great time. However, a couple days later my family member called me and told me they have been suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. I noticed I had started to develop the same symptoms. I am positive that the beef was cooked to the proper temperature. What did I do incorrectly to make my family members and myself sick? -Bilious Burger Babe
Dear Bilious Burger Babe, You seemed to be very careful while preparing the patties. I think in fact this sudden outburst of illness was not your fault, but your dad's. After your dad grilled the burgers, he placed them back on the same plate the raw patties were on. Although the burgers may have been fully cooked, the bacteria on the plate crept back on to them. You should always remember to use separate plates for raw foods and cooked ready-to-eat foods. This is important when trying to prevent cross-contamination. Using new and separate plates will ensure that the bacteria not be transferred from one surface to another. Happy Cooking, Epic Failure
Dear Epic Failure, After watching Bobby Flay make some chicken quesadillas, my taste buds started to water. So I ran to my local grocery store and picked up some boneless chicken breasts, flour tortillas, and a pack of Mexican blend cheeses. After returning home, I washed my hands and began to prep. I placed my pan on the stove and started to heat the oil. Next, I placed the chicken breasts on to my clean cutting board and cut them into slices. I placed the chicken in the pan and seasoned it with some spices. After my chicken was fully cooked( the juices ran clear), I placed the cooked strips on to a plate. I quickly warmed up some of the flour tortillas to start my assembly line. I first placed a tortilla down, then placed a couple strips of chicken on one half of the tortilla, sprinkled some cheese over the chicken, and finally folded the other half of the tortilla over. After doing this process two more times, I rinsed the knife and used it to cut my quesadillas into three sections. I enjoyed the quesadillas while watching another episode of Boy Meets Grill. However, about two days later I started to develop a fever and bad abdominal cramps. I eventually started to vomit as well. Is it possible that my delicious chicken quesadillas were contaminated? -Feeling crabby with cramps
Dear Feeling Crabby with Cramps, It seems that your quesadillas were indeed contaminated. However, not until the very end when you decided to cut them with the same knife you used to cut the raw chicken. The precautions you took, making sure the chicken juices ran clear, to ensure the chicken was safe to eat was great. You must remember not to cross-contaminate too. Never use the same knife you used to cut raw meats to cut ready-to-eat foods, unless you wash them with warm soapy water. The bacteria from the raw chicken most likely transferred over to your quesadillas. Happy Cooking, Epic Failure
My family and I decided to have a cookout for Labor Day. I was very careful while preparing the burger patties. I used two separate cutting boards for my ground beef and veggies. I also washed my hands frequently, in between handling the different ingredients. I formed the patties and placed them on to a plate, which I took out to my dad to grill. After grilling the patties he placed them back on the plate and set the plate on the table, so people could help themselves. The party was great and we all had a great time. However, a couple days later my family member called me and told me they have been suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. I noticed I had started to develop the same symptoms. I am positive that the beef was cooked to the proper temperature. What did I do incorrectly to make my family members and myself sick?
-Bilious Burger Babe
Dear Bilious Burger Babe,
You seemed to be very careful while preparing the patties. I think in fact this sudden outburst of illness was not your fault, but your dad's. After your dad grilled the burgers, he placed them back on the same plate the raw patties were on. Although the burgers may have been fully cooked, the bacteria on the plate crept back on to them. You should always remember to use separate plates for raw foods and cooked ready-to-eat foods. This is important when trying to prevent cross-contamination. Using new and separate plates will ensure that the bacteria not be transferred from one surface to another.
Happy Cooking,
Epic Failure
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_urrjkIu6hfc/S9cgHBPecHI/AAAAAAAADWs/5D9sUEnOFwY/s1600/Raw+burgers.JPG
Dear Epic Failure,
After watching Bobby Flay make some chicken quesadillas, my taste buds started to water. So I ran to my local grocery store and picked up some boneless chicken breasts, flour tortillas, and a pack of Mexican blend cheeses. After returning home, I washed my hands and began to prep. I placed my pan on the stove and started to heat the oil. Next, I placed the chicken breasts on to my clean cutting board and cut them into slices. I placed the chicken in the pan and seasoned it with some spices. After my chicken was fully cooked( the juices ran clear), I placed the cooked strips on to a plate. I quickly warmed up some of the flour tortillas to start my assembly line. I first placed a tortilla down, then placed a couple strips of chicken on one half of the tortilla, sprinkled some cheese over the chicken, and finally folded the other half of the tortilla over. After doing this process two more times, I rinsed the knife and used it to cut my quesadillas into three sections. I enjoyed the quesadillas while watching another episode of Boy Meets Grill. However, about two days later I started to develop a fever and bad abdominal cramps. I eventually started to vomit as well. Is it possible that my delicious chicken quesadillas were contaminated?
-Feeling crabby with cramps
Dear Feeling Crabby with Cramps,
It seems that your quesadillas were indeed contaminated. However, not until the very end when you decided to cut them with the same knife you used to cut the raw chicken. The precautions you took, making sure the chicken juices ran clear, to ensure the chicken was safe to eat was great. You must remember not to cross-contaminate too. Never use the same knife you used to cut raw meats to cut ready-to-eat foods, unless you wash them with warm soapy water. The bacteria from the raw chicken most likely transferred over to your quesadillas.
Happy Cooking,
Epic Failure
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Alice_chicken.jpg